James Wild MP has released the results of his constituency survey on proposed National Grid energy infrastructure projects affecting West Walton and the Walpoles, revealing overwhelming opposition and widespread concern about the impact on local communities.
The findings show strong resistance to both schemes in their current form with 90% of respondents opposing the Eastern Green Link 3 & 4 project, while another 91% oppose the Grimsby to Walpole overhead transmission line. Only 3% of respondents considered either project acceptable as currently proposed.
James launched the survey to gain further insight into the concerns raised by residents about two projects linked to National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade programme. Eastern Green Link 3 & 4 would involve new converter stations and a substation complex at Walpole, while the Grimsby to Walpole scheme would introduce a 90 mile overhead transmission line, with pylons up to 50 metres high. Both would involve years of construction.
Key areas of concern
Loss of agricultural land:
- Eastern Green Link: 76%
- Grimsby to Walpole: 65%
Visual impact:
- Eastern Green Link: 74%
Grimsby to Walpole: 74%
Construction disruption:
- Eastern Green Link: 70%
- Grimsby to Walpole 60%
Residents warned of the permanent loss of agricultural land, the rich ecology and the “beautiful wildlife” that drew them to the area, warning “we won’t get it back”. A local farmer also explained the threat to his business’ viability, saying: “The current plans are going to mean we can’t access or use our fields, but because they are only planning to take a strip, we might, if we’re lucky, get the commercial value of maybe 1/20 of an acre.”
Impact on communities during construction was an immediate concern, with constituents raising apprehension about the damage and disruption heavy vehicles can cause and pointing to previous commitments that have not been honoured by developers to repair roads following earlier works. Many noted that local roads are not designed to withstand HGV traffic, reporting damage to properties and explaining: “Our house is piled and, even if one or two lorries go past it, it shakes. With continuous lorries, the house would be unsafe.”
Many respondents expressed concern about the impacts of developments on their property values and sense of place, reporting “We are being stressed out and ‘rolled over.’ There has been no talk of compensation. Of course, the value of our property is affected.” One constituent felt the scale would leave them “living in a power station.” 78% of respondents cited compensation, including on the potential decrease in their property value, as their most important means of remediation.
The level of consultation has been inadequate, with National Grid choosing to hold separate consultations rather than presenting the cumulative impact of the project plans to residents. People described the engagement approach as non-transparent, dismissive, and a “whitewash”, saying “there have been no proper costings or alternatives considered”.
Concerns also extended to children’s safety, given the proximity of schools and limited pedestrian infrastructure, and one constituent told James that the “lack of footpaths around Walpole Marsh makes walks with young children dangerous while heavy construction traffic thunders past.”
While constituents recognised the necessity of energy infrastructure, they expressed serious reservations and called for a rethink of the current proposals with widespread support for mitigation and alternative measures within the projects, including:
- Proper road maintenance during and after construction, cited by 86%.
- More underground or offshore routing of transmission lines, cited by 85%.
- The infrastructure to be located further from homes, cited by 77%.
Commenting on the findings, James Wild MP said:
“The message from local residents could not be clearer: constituents do not support these projects in their current form and have serious, well-founded concerns about their impact on our roads, farmland, environment, landscape, communities, and on homes.”
“The consultation process has been inadequate and uncoordinated, and people are right to question whether genuine alternatives have been considered to minimise the impact on local communities.
“The strength of feeling reflects people’s experiences including previous commitments that were not honoured on maintaining the condition of roads after construction.
“I will ensure these views are fully represented and will continue to scrutinise these proposals closely, holding National Grid and ministers to account on behalf of my constituents. Any scheme that proceeds must be meaningfully improved, and credible alternatives must be explored.”
Having opposed the current proposals from the outset, James will now use these findings to help inform his ongoing engagement with Ministers and National Grid, to ensure the concerns of local residents are formally recognised and addressed in forthcoming developments.
In total, there were 355 responses to the survey.
